Reply To: Exercise 4: 10 Friends and Family Members
I spoke with 2 more people the past 2 weeks and I wanted to share my updated reflection.
A list of the advice you got for your project.
Old solution: Build on the strengths of current shuttle programs that provide patient transportation to clinics and hospitals, and identify areas for improvement. Work with shuttle companies to arrange rides for patients. During the appointment scheduling process, schedulers should ask patients if they need transportation assistance.
Advice received:
Clarify the emotions and think about how these people are feeling
Help people become of the services that already existed
Define a smaller geographical area to start
Include links on providers’ websites and display physical posters in waiting areas to make them visible to patients before their appointments
Analyze the existing models -what work and doesn’t work, and from user and healthcare workers’ perspectives
How are you going to fund this in the short term? Talk to if there are some non profits
Define ability of mobility – what equipment the shuttle is needed
set milestones and try this for a year and see what do I need to do
Set the parameters and expectations
Identify other countries and models that are doing it well
Where is the revenue stream?
What is your goal – help people have healthier lives?
What does success look like?
How is it different from lyft and uber?
Focus on the real problem – how can you help others
How to make it a win win for hospital and clinics
Figure out who qualify for assistance
Create a transportation system within a 25-mile radius of the hospital/clinic address
Additional ideas:
Provide options for people or help them get a ride
Research organizations that have arranged volunteers to provide transportation services e.g. American Cancer Society, Angels on Wheels (formerly)
Transportation Volunteers to specialize in specific disease categories, such as heart disease and cancer
Research existing transportation services and create a repository of available resources.
Partner with college students to recruit volunteers, offering them opportunities to earn college credits or scholarship funds
An improved version of the project based on that advice.
Build on the strengths of current shuttle programs that provide patient transportation to clinics and hospitals, and identify areas for improvement. Work with shuttle companies to arrange rides for patients. During the appointment scheduling process, schedulers should ask patients if they need transportation assistance. Geographical area: Start with the East Bay within the San Francisco Bay Area
Edit:
Study existing ride volunteer models, starting with a small community, and gradually expand to a larger area. Build on the strengths of current shuttle programs that provide patient transportation to clinics and hospitals, identifying areas for improvement.
In addition to exploring shuttle programs, consider offering individual car services for patient transportation. This could involve partnering with ride-sharing companies or establishing a volunteer-based system where drivers provide one-on-one rides. By offering both shuttle and individual car services, patients can have more flexibility and access to reliable transportation options tailored to their specific needs.
A list of any referrals to people who could help.
https://patandtheelephant.org/
American Cancer Society
Angels on Wheels (formerly)
Reflection:
How did you feel about the exercise before starting? Were you anxious, excited, confused?
I felt a bit nervous about this exercise before starting because I needed to interview 10 people within one week. During exercise 3, it was challenging to find 5 people to talk to, as everyone was very busy. Additionally, as I was still catching up on all these exercises, I felt overwhelmed by the coordination and identifying individuals to interview. I originally scheduled interviews with 9 people but ended up speaking with 7. I will explain later why I paused after the seventh interview.
Edit: I spoke with two more people over the past week and was pleased to gain new perspectives and insights that reshaped my original solution.
How did those feelings change as you did the exercise?
I became more confused after speaking with more people, though I genuinely appreciate the advice I received. It was clear that everyone was sincerely interested in my project and believed it would benefit the community. However, I realized that the topic I’m covering is too broad. I need to narrow my scope and clearly define my goal—what exactly do I want to achieve and who do I want to help?
Edit:
Over the past two weeks, several interviewees suggested starting with my own community or organizing volunteers to provide rides or assist people in arranging transportation. These ideas have given me new options for addressing the lack of reliable transportation. A few weeks ago, I felt a bit stuck, but now I’m eager to explore this direction further.
How did you feel during the conversations? How did the other people seem to feel?
People appreciate my efforts to address the healthcare accessibility problem, recognizing its urgent need. The conversations went well, and they are eager to hear more about my progress. I feel more motivated after hearing that this topic is considered important. I enjoyed the conversations.
Did you get advice beyond your expectations? Did you learn from the conversations?
I received two pieces of advice: they were not about improving accessibility but about my passion. First, the focus should be on whether I genuinely want to pursue this project and define my goal, rather than just improving accessibility. I haven’t yet clarified what success looks like for this project. I recognize that it is very complex and often feel overwhelmed. Sometimes, I consider choosing simpler tasks to achieve a sense of accomplishment. After speaking with the seventh interviewee, I decided to pause the discussions to reflect on my goals. I plan to interview the remaining participants next week. However, one interviewee mentioned that the key skills gained from these exercises and interactions—such as discovering our passion and improving communication skills—are valuable. Ultimately, these skills will contribute to the project’s success, even though we may not see the results until after the class is over. This was very helpful and motivated me to keep going.
Do you feel your understanding of the problem and the quality of the solution improved?
I received a lot of advice that I need time to process. I appreciate the input and will focus on defining my goal, as I am feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Do you think the people you talked to are interested in learning how the project evolves?
Yes, they were very excited about it and asked me to keep them posted.
How would you characterize the conversations—boring, fun, exciting?
I enjoyed the conversations; they were both fun and inspiring. I found it exciting to talk to people, and some suggestions led me to explore areas I hadn’t previously considered.